The Beginning of the End of Naruto Uzumaki
by iKoffeeholic
Summary: Orochimaru is an evil wizard that plans to capture the demons for power. But a sprog of a host, Naruto, lands in his clutches and barely escapes with his life when they meet. Years after being around Muggles, magic comes. And that is just the beginning of the end.
1. The Legend

**The Beginning of the End of Naruto Uzumaki**

A Do-over of the First One

Composed by:** Koffeeholic**

**Characters:** Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Jiraiya, Kakashi, Tenten, Third Hokage, Orochimaru, (mentioned) Fourth Hokage and wife

**Setting:** Metropolitan Konoha; Parallel Konoha(gakure), Enchanted Realm

**Disclaimer:**

Any references to J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter (Muggles, Quidditch, familiars) or Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto (characters and locations only) are just a part of the story and mean no copyright infringement. I also own nothing of theirs whatsoever.

**Koffeeholic's Word:**

I got suspended from school to save a friend's ass and decided to read some Harry Potter to ease the boredom. Then I realised how much better I could have made the original _The Beginning of the End_. I could have bonked myself on the head with all those plot holes I had and precious details I left out! Anyway, Naruto is going to see some of his powers from the start this time.

**JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL**

_Like all walks of life, there will always be something in the dark to most of the world. And what could that possibly be to the majority of us? It's magic._

_Magic is such a rare occurrence on this earth that beings with not one pinch of magic in their blood, Muggles, used to kill each other in hopes of finding powers of witch and wizard kind to solve their problems. This happened so much until such a powerful wizard, Magnus Wishbone, was discovered by a Muggle then shredded to pieces._

_Unlike what that Muggle envisioned, the magic within Magnus Wishbone turned out be sourced by a ten-tailed demon—a ghastly beast that caused mountains to crumble, oceans to rise and overrun, and villages to disintegrate, all with a lash of a tail. It thrived, leaving destruction in its wake. In time, the Earth could no longer bear this burden of a Muggle's horrid fault._

_The legendary Rikudou Senin of Japan travelled far west to do battle with the beast, calling it Juubi, or ten-tails in his language. He succeeded, dividing the beast into nine individual tailed demons. How hazardous you may think, yet that was rather wise; it alleviated some of the strength._

_Rikudou then gave each its own name according to the number of tails wagging behind them in exchange for peace in the realm that he had constructed for enchanted kind only to escape the Muggles._

_Peace the nine demons tried their best to offer, but every step they took cause some sort of destruction. And they had the very need to roam._

_To solve this, magnus and magna alike began sealing the demons away by scrolls. The scrolls only provide temporary imprisonment due to the demons' strong will to be free. So another solution emerged—enchanted hosts. In other words, witches and wizards became the final resort to house these demons. The scrolls were sent to the home of Rikudou Senin, an isle of Japan called Hidden Nations._

_The demon of one tail, a racoon-like dog, was sealed within two ordinary wizards of the Hidden Sand village then finally sealed away in the just-born redhead sprog of a grand wizard called the Magnus Kazekage. Shukaku Ichibi it was called._

_The demon of two tails, a cat, was sealed within a young Lady of the Hidden Cloud. Matatabi Nibi it was called._

_The demon of three tails, a shrimp-like turtle, was sealed within the Magnus Mizukage of the Hidden Mist. Isobuu Sanbi it was called._

_Of four tails was a gorilla of some sort, and it was sealed within a wizard of the Hidden Rock. Son Gokuu Yonbi it was called._

_The five tails belonged to a whale-horse, happening to be contained by a wizard of the Hidden Rock as well. Kokuou Gobi was called._

_Another, yet orphaned wizard of the Hidden Mist took the weight of the six-tailed demon upon his soul, a slug. The Magnus Mizukage adopted him as his son to keep him from being an outcast. Saiken Rokubi his dweller was called. Then a rhino beetle became the demon to be hosted by a magna (of the Hidden Waterfall), having seven tails. Choumei Shichibi was its name._

_The eight-tailed oxen octopus called Gyuuki Hachibi was passed through many hosts quickly due its strong powers and fierceness. Finally, a Hidden Cloud wizard was found to host and control this demon._

_Lastly, but the most powerful, is the demon fox of nine tails. It had been passed down through many witches and magna of a infamous clan that once dwelled in the Whirlpool nation. On one October night in the Hidden Leaf Konoha, the first-born of the Magnus Hokage received this after leaving his mother's womb. And its name was Kurama Kyuubi._

_Alas, the problem had been solved. Then, the abilities these demons gave their enchanted hosts surfaced. This included elevated magic, immunity, and psychic powers. Most of all, immortality revealed itself, drawing an evil wizard from his hiding with eyes of hunger. His name is Orochimaru, often called Lord Snake by the Order of Enchanted Rankings._

_After them he sought, conjuring an assembly of minions. The Akastuki he called them. They aided him in his destructive journey, overturning countries in their path as he left the Hidden Nations. Then, he returned empty handed, only to discover that the hosts were right under his broom from the beginning._

_And that is why this very tale begins._


	2. The Close Call

**Koffeeholic's Word:**

Didn't mean to cut it short like that, but I just wanted to create a legend to go by…

**JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL**

The true search began. Muggles, witches, and wizards were burned to ash, blown to bits, stoned, struck by lightning and washed to nothingness as a result of the search.

"_DANT DAEMONI!"_

It was another October night, rainy from the Hidden Mist's water mages' weekly castings. On that night was the first birthday of the Kyuubi's host, the day the Kyuubi's powers would uncontrollably begin to rise, summiting to full capabilities.

The Fourth Magnus Hokage, Minato Namikaze stood at an open window, gazing pensively at the dark rainy-ness of the sky before him. The cold wind spat water in his face and blew at his golden yellow locks and long white coat. Billowing were the depictions of fire at the tail of it.

'_I sense an awkward presence approaching...'_

Then, another presence appeared. A startled owl flew through out of the rain and into Minato's office like a bat being released from hell. The very sight caused the blond to become startled too.

"An Owl? Owls can't fly in the rain! Unless..."

He recollected himself and examined the creature closer. It bore a scroll clenched in its claws. And scroll bore a familiar water-like insignia that held it closed.

"...it came from the Hidden Mist..."

The owl recollected itself as well, ruffled its ocean blue feathers, and dropped the scroll into Minato's hands. The wizard gasped.

It read:

_To Minato, Lord Flash, Magnus Hokage of Konoha,_

_An evil presence has occurred and overturned the Hidden Mist in search of my son, Mage Utakata and I for Saiken and Isobuu! They cast spells of _**Dant Daemoni**_, destroying my people here and there! I believe it is Lord Snake and his minions in black coats of red clouds. Conjure your army and make secret passage for my son and I._

_Yours truly in distress,_

_Yagura,_ _Lord Turtle, Magnus Mizukage of Kirigakure_

Minato could have fainted at that message, but he took action as the leader he was.

"Lords! Order the Uchiha Military Force to make fire barriers around Konoha!" he abruptly ordered as he ran through the corridors to reach the chamber of his wife and son.

"Scribes! Send messaging owls to the Kazekage, Raikage, Takikage, Tsuchikage and other villages that may be attacked! Tell them to bring their hosts to the high tower through portals!" He continued to his son, for the young sprog was also a container of a demon. But he was stopped by one of the most revered wizards of all Konoha.

The Third Magnus Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared from a glowing portal in the floor, grimly staring the blond down with a red-faced sprog in his arms. It was unusual to see such a clear, blemish-less, youthful face so affected by enchants.

"Minato, have you ordered the hosts to be taken to the high tower? Kushina is already there."

"Yes, I have. And thank you for fetching Naruto." He reached out to take his son into his arms, but Minato discovered the sprog was heated to the touch. "Ouch!"

The Third sighed. "Do cast a spell to numb your sense of touch. This is a side effect of Kyuubi reaching full potential." And the blond did so.

"Isikal!" he casted, making his hands cold and icy. He then took Naruto into his care and instantly conjured out of thin air his wand of elm wood, centred by a phoenix feather. He drew a five-pointed star in the air, enclosing it by circle.

"In the name of wind, I open this entrance to the tower on high."

Into the portal he and Naruto disappeared with a thunderous hiss.

**JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL**

Meanwhile, the demon hosts were collecting in the high tower as directed. The wife of the Hokage counted all of the beings present as she aimlessly paced back and forth over the wooden floor.

"All right, most of you are here, but where are Magnus Yagura and Utakata? They were the first to request our service!" she almost panicked.

"No need to worry, Magna. There they come," answered an elderly witch who held a panda-faced redhead in her arms. "Granny Chiyo knows best."

Instantly, two portals opened, one in the floor and the other in midair. The one in the floor proved to be moisture-laden as the Mizukage and his water mage son bubbled through.

"Evening to you, Magna Foxum," greeted the green-haired Mizukage. A stitched scar trailed from his lavender eye to the edge of his cheek.

Then his raven-haired son spoke, "Thank you for hiding us."

"Utakata! Where are your manners? This is the wife of the Hokage!" the Mizukage spat after delivering a clout to his son's head.

In muffled whimpers, Utakata gave his remorse. "My apologies, Magna Foxum! But I do—I mean we all do thank you for hiding us in your humble village!"

And Kushina did feel some sort of sympathy for the young mage. "You're both welcome to take refuge here. Minato is a very benevolent wizard to organise this." The redhead beamed brightly. "And there he is." She turned to the wall to see her son and husband standing before an evaporating opening that illuminated the room with bright white.

"I suppose all are here now, Kushina. You can stop your panicking that I sense." The blond gently stepped toward her to offer a token of affection—a simple kiss.

The redhead giggled. "Oh, Minato. I—

A seismic jolt struck the tower in a rather feral manner, interrupting Kushina's reply. Then, another wizard entered the room. It was the Third Magnus Hokage once again.

Kushina faltered, "What's going on out there?"

"It's Lord Snake and his bloody Akastuki. They've made their arrival," answered the Third.

Minato sighed a deep sigh. "As the Fourth Magnus Hokage of Konoha, I must protect this village. And will succeed at my endeavour." He faced the open window. "Kushina, take care of Naruto. And Third Hokage, I ask of you to be in command in the time I am gone. If I do not survive, please do lead this village once more."

Into the wind he disappeared with his wand in hand.

The Third casted a watchful eye over the room, searching for some to act as guardians.

"Fuu, Lady Ni'i Yugito, Killer Bee, Han, Roushi, form an elemental pentagram in the centre of the room and do not cease focus."

"Yes, Magnus!" they said in unison. Then the wizard known as Killer Bee inserted a finger into his mouth; it returned coated by a dark, inky substance. He began to etch the spoken image onto the wood beneath them. It glowed after he released his touch. "All set."

The wizard named Roushi took the earth point and murmured, "In the name of earth, I take this stance." He knelt, crossing his arms at his waist.

Lady Ni'i knelt at the fire point, murmuring, "In the name of fire, I take this stance." She shaped her hands to that of a flame.

Killer Bee took his place at the lightning point as he cross his arms above his head. "I take this stance in the name of lightning."

The witch named Fuu took the wind point and murmured, "In the name of wind, I take this stance." She knelt, stretching her arms outward.

Lastly, the wizard named Han formed a parallel tide with his arms, kneeling and murmuring, "In the name of water, I take this stance."

Suddenly, another jolt struck the tower, causing the crouching Utakata to tumble into the wall and bang his head. And the five over the pentagram nearly toppled over.

The young raven cried, "Ouch! That hurt!"

"Mind your focus, all of you. Our Fourth Hokage is trying his best to defeat Lord Snake and the Akatsuki. They've overturned every village in the land to find the demons so far. But that trash will never think to find them here." The Third gripped his wand tighter.

'_Minato...I wish you the best of success...'_

**JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL**

Outside in the blood-soaked air, the Fourth Magnus Hokage stood face to face with Lord Snake, struggling for air as he was being strangled by an invisible grip and garlicky serpent's breath.

Below him was his army of Uchiha, chanting chants of encouragements while blasting spells at the red clouds of sable coats.

'_You can do it, Magnus Hokage!'_

'_We know you won't let us down!'_

But the red clouds were too much to handle—even for Konoha's strongest clan. They continued offering their bouquets of _Dant Daemoni_, creating green flashes and bloodcurdling screams everywhere.

"Where are they, Minato?" Lord Snake demanded to know. "I will spare your useless life if you tell me!"

"Never...I won't...tell..." The invisible grip tightened even more around his neck; crimson juices began to drip from his mouth. "Even...even if we did create...a secrecy pact."

Lord Snake's eyes softened. "What?"

"Our secrecy pact...when we were children. We told each other secrets and promised never to tell...even if it spelled death. We...were friends, Orochimaru...the best of friends."

Those words sparked a memory for the both of them.

_It was an afternoon of no homework for the third-year children of the Konoha Wizarding Academy. Minato had not a thing to do, for his girlfriend had gone to pick medicinal flowers with her cousin and his best friend had went into the woods to train the orphaned baby bear he had found to hunt._

_The blond wizard stood under the shadiness of a great oak to escape the heat of the day. He held his head down in his bored condition._

'_I wish there was something that I could actually do now and have fun with. My hand hurts from spell casting.'_

_He glanced down at the red streak screaming lightly on his right hand._

'_Ouch...I hope Kushina comes back soon with those flowers. My hand really needs them!'_

_All of a sudden, the bushes began to rustle and somehow growl. Minato snapped his head to his right to see what was going on. Frightened, he clumsily withdrew his wand, preparing to blast whatever was behind the bushes into an eternal purgatory._

"_Whatever you are, you better not come any closer! You'll be gone in the blink of an eye and a flash of white..." He slowed down to comprehend what was then coming out of the leaves. It was a slow brown cub with a large fish hanging out of its mouth._

_It happily trotted along then turned to look behind him; another being was climbing over the bushes._

"_Orochi?" Minato returned his wand back to its resting place. He focused his blue eyes onto the being in peachy skin and a flowing, glossy mane, gingerly stepping over the short shrubs. As the mentioning of his name met his ears, he lost concentration, tripping flat onto his front-side._

"_Are you okay? Did you hurt something?" Minato panicked while rushing to his side._

"_Yeah, Minato!" the being laughed, gently pushing his friend away. "You need to stop worrying so much! And it's just a baby bear; what wizard be doing crawling through leaves for an attack when he can fly and hide with the speak of a spell?" He tossed his flowing, glossy hair playfully with the tip of his wand._

"_I should be asking you that! You were wasting a perfect moment for magic!" Minato jeered in response._

_The laughter soon evaporated when Minato switched his glance to the bear cub, which wasn't there anymore._

"_Where's your beast-in-training?" he asked._

"_Very funny, Minato," he pointed his wand, "It's over...there." Both wizards were confused and had their eyes darting about to find the animal. Then they stumbled upon something sitting at the trunk of the oak tree. It was a nearly invisible blob of a creature attempting to swallow the fish whole. The only thing noticeable about it was its bevelling outline pressing against the air._

_But the wizards knew what the creature was; they had just covered it in Defence of the Dark Arts class._

"_It's a BOGGARSHIFT!" the two cried._

_And it gave a loud belch as it departed, somehow representing a thank-you for servicing it._

_Orochimaru became pale and wide-eyed. He looked terrified. "Oh, no..." He shrieked, putting his hands to his cheeks._

"_What is it, Orochi?"_

_The raven haired wizard turned to his friend and answered, "Professor Sarutobi released five evil boggarshifts into the wild last week. For an exam, we were told to turn a boggarshift in once we had it in captivity. It usually takes on the appearance of something irresistibly helpless in its surroundings—usually animal young. But I became its friend, thinking it was an orphaned cub! And anyone who is caught befriending a boggarshift and not completing the assignment...has to go to the dungeon for a night for being naive!" He cried, tossing his hands into the air. "And you're a witness, Minato! You'll be forced to tell!" _

_The blond knelt at his weeping friend's side. "I won't, Orochi. We're friends and friends don't tattle on each other." He helped him to his feet._

"_Really?" Orochimaru said through his now dried tears. _

"_Absolute," reassured Minato._

"_Then let's make a secrecy pact, to our friendship!" He gave his hair another toss and held out his wand, urging Minato to do the same._

"_To our friendship!" They crossed their wands._

"_**I extend my wand to secrecy, for the friend that I adore. That we remain loyal and truthful, and leave needs never ignored. I, in knowledge, feed you my secrets and you in wisdom feed me yours. We keep locked the doors that others may pass though, even Death. And we will continue to treasure this vow of secrecy betwixt us, forever and ever more."**_

_And their wands brightly glowed, ushering in a new chapter in their friendship._

Back to the present, Lord Snake felt depressed. He had transformed into a soulless monster since then, even heartless. He felt disgusted with himself. "Say, Minato, since we made the pact, how about you tell me, and I promise not to tell or go after your son, wife, and others?"

The Fourth Hokage wasn't falling for it. "Over my dead body, friend."

"Then I'll just have to get inside of that mind of yours, won't I?" A lengthy fleshy organ slithered through pale lips and set itself on the course of the Fourth's ear. As it neared the outer edge, the blond wizard thrashed about. The action earned him a cold, slimy slap across the face from the organ.

"Stay still!" Lord Snake spluttered.

Regretting taking the advice from his conscious, he grinded his teeth into the organ and managed to overcome the invisible grip.

"Ouch! What the bloody hell did you do that for?" When Lord Snake's green eyes returned to his prey, he discovered he was nowhere in sight. "He disappeared! Now I have to capture him again!"

Being the crafty wizard he was, the Fourth became the wind and silently blew himself to the tower.

**JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL**

Momentarily, wizards in sable cloaks charioting on faint red clouds floated to Lord Snake's side.

"What's the matter boss?" asked a blond, flipping his long hair over his shoulder.

"Did you find a demon host?" asked rather sharkly being.

But the only answer that the reptilious lord could give was a venomous growl. "KABUTO! GET YOUR RIDICULOUS, POMPOUS, USELESS BUM OVER HERE!" he shouted.

In a dark crevice below, the silver-haired wizard was finishing a meal—an enchanted one that cried for help.

"...please...don't cast it! I don't have a demon inside me! I'm just a little, regular witch..."

The silver-haired wizard displayed no mercy at that sight, yet he began to play with his meal by sweetly teasing her dampened green and yellow locks. "You may be wrong. You may be right, you pretty witch, but I mustn't take any chances at your claims; I'll kill you anyway." He readied his awkwardly short wand, aiming it at the witch whilst she shed tears.

He started the spell. "DANT DAEMO—

"KABUTO! COME TO MY AID WHEN I SUMMON YOU!" Lord Snake interrupted.

"On it, my liege!" he shouted back in annoyed tone. Kabuto gathered some moist wind underneath him and rose into the air. "You've been spared little witch, but if you contain what I seek, I'll have your pretty head before sunrise..."

Around Kabuto in the air was the Akatsuki, staring him down with vicious eyes just as their master did.

"Yes, my liege?"

Lord Snake smirked, "I sense a great abundance of enchanted energy nearby. Locate it and be quick about it!"

"As you wish, my liege." As the silver-haired wizard was told, he disappeared into the misty air.

**JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL**

Within the high tower, the wife of the Hokage had tears flowing from her face, gently dropping into her son's hair. She hoped for Minato to be alive and well.

As she began to express her sorrow even further, wind gathered in a column at the centre of the room. A figure appeared, laden with bruises and blood, dizzily swaying to and fro. The red flames at the base of its once white cloak ghosted over the floorboards beneath; they resembled true fire in their tattered condition.

Dimming blue eyes looked up at the ceiling as a groan of pain escaped blood-drenched lips. The figure lost its balance.

"Minato! Oh, please, don't leave us! Please!" the redhead cried as she knelt beside her weak husband. "We all need you!"

He struggled to pull himself up to speak. Azure orbs met chocolate pools of despair. "Kushina, my love, the time I've spent with you in this world has been the greatest chapter of my life. However, I believe that my book is coming to its close. I will always love you and forever cherish the symbol of our matrimony, the beautiful baby boy we call...Naruto..."

Aside the comforting words, Kushina still wept. "Don't...don't leave us. You're stronger than this, Minato. I...I know...because I love you..." The two came closer and closer, careful not to squish the sprog between them. Their lips met passionately.

The Third crawled over to the Fourth quietly from his corner. "I apologise for interrupting your last goodbyes, Minato. But I sense the presence of an evil one. We must open a portal now!"

"Can't you see that one of his arms is useless?" Kushina shouted in defence. "Minato's in no condition to perform entry and exit spells!"

The grey-haired man switched his focus to the limp and blood-soaked arm of the Fourth Hokage.

"I see. I guess I need to open it with some other help." He stood up. "Magnus Mizukage, it would be best if you aided me."

Yagura walked to the Third taking ginger steps. "I can only be of temporary service to you, Magnus. Utakata and I need to return to our people."

"Thank you, Mizukage Yagura. Your help will be greatly appreciated by all."

Yagura withdrew his long, glassy wand from a pouch that held onto his back by leather straps. He knelt at an opening on the pentagram and pointed the glass rod at the centre. What seemed to be inside the glass bubbled as energy coursed through its entire structure. It most definitely was water.

The Third withdrew his wand as well, doing the same.

The two men murmured, "In the name of earth, fire, wind, water, and lightning, we deem this portal to safety!" The image spun around faster, growing even larger with its winding light. It was ready for travel. However, before The Third could announce the readiness of the portal, another being emerged from the shadows.

"Hello, Magnus Sarutobi and Magnus Hokage," the being greeted. He stepped forward, revealing himself in a smirking manner showing from behind his glasses. "I've come to be of service to you." His podgy wand clung to his side. His neckcharm, given to him by the Magna after he graduated wizard school, sweetly dangled around his neck.

"Kabuto, my best healer, you can be of service to us by saving the Hokage!" Kushina barked out of her character.

"Your command is my doing, Magna Foxum." Kabuto knelt at Minato's side. His blue eyes were a grim sight to look upon. The fiery magic that ran through blood was beginning diminish with every passing moment.

He caught sight of the Hokage's injured arm and prepared to cast a healing spell over it. Yet he did something other than he had lead them to thinking. He raised the wand to his glasses.

"MEUS UBI!"

And Lord Snake burst through nowhere in flames. Ready he was for his sub-revenge.

The pale man uncrossed his arms and flaunted his long, black locks of hair. "Alright, Sarutobi. My minions have been tired out, so it's up to me to cast the spell to uncover the demon hosts! Prepare for your deaths, everyone!"

"KABUTO, YOU TRAITOR!"

Lord Snake's now smaller slimy tongue glazed his lips in the presence of all that energy surrounding him. Yet he could not tell which beings contained it. "Well done, Kabuto. Now be of service by cracking open some of these nuts, why don't you?"

The five on the pentagram backed down.

"This is it," sniffled Fuu. "Our lives."

"You know you're not competent enough to cast that spell! Even I can't predict how much damage you can cause using it!" The Third shouted. As he gritted his teeth, the portal began to shrink.

Lord Snake conjured his wand. He took a deep breath. "Well, here it comes!" He took an even deeperbreath and closed his eyes. Aiming the wand at Kushina, Minato, and Naruto, he began to chant the spell. "DAAAAAANT..."

While he prepared his lips to say the next syllable, Kushina and Minato gave Naruto their last drop of love.

The older blond coughed, "Even though we won't be with you in sight, Naruto,"

"We'll always be with you in heart!" Kushina whimpered lovingly, realising her life was going to be taken as well. The two kissed Naruto on his soft, rosy cheeks.

"Mu-mee! Da-da!" the younger blond squeaked.

The couple sadly smiled at the final show of happiness they will ever see from their son.

"...DAAAAEEEMONI!" A green jet of energy streamed from the wand at an incredibly high speed. Kushina and Minato promptly placed Naruto behind them and came closer.

The jet arrived on target, and the Fourth and his wife faded away in peace. The Third was disheartened, yet he kept that emotion concealed. It could not get the best of him in order to defeat Lord Snake and Kabuto the traitor. Speaking of the traitor, the clear charm that hung around his neck flickered a bright green after Lord Snake's cast.

'_I'll never forget you, Magnus and Magna. You've been great leaders to us all...'_

"Hurry! Every one into the portal before it disappears!" barked the Third.

There was barely half a metre left of the light. Yugito, Killer Bee, and the others jumped into the portal without haste. Lord Snake prepared to stop his only chance at immortality escaping, but raising his wand led to a most shocking discovery. A small cedar fragment dangled over the edge of a larger piece of cedar by a twiggish bit, revealing a hydra fang at the core. The wand had broken.

The Lord turned paler than he already was, if possible, and let out a fiendish shriek of agony.

"DO SOMETHING, KABUTO! THEY'RE GETTING AWAY!"

The noise that met the silver-haired traitor's ears did some damage to the mind. Of course he could hear, but he unsteadily fidgeted with his wand while thinking of a spell to cast. And he casted not fast enough.

"Stupefy!" casted the third, stunning the two.

Granny Chiyo disappeared into the portal soon after. The only thing that caught her attention was a demon host not in motion. "Magnus, you have one more sprog-host to worry about and Gaara's heavy enough for my arms."

The Third Hokage refrained from escorting the others into the diminishing exit. "Naruto, run!" The blond didn't move a muscle. He sat frozen as a lifeless doll.

"There must have been an offshoot effect from that spell!"

The Third prepared to cast another spell to save the blond. The demon within him was capable of even more damage than Lord Snake and his Akatsuki. Killing him would free it, causing just that. He raised his wand and called, "ANIMATO RESUMAI!"

Naruto sprung back to life.

"RUN, NARUTO!"

"Ru-ru!" the sprog babbled as he tottered to the nearly depleted light.

Then Lord Snake unfroze, unlike Kabuto who remained...stupefied. He shuffled after Naruto careful not to lose him to the Third again.

"There must be a powerful demon inside him since you want him so badly!"

"NARUTOOO!"

Naruto tried to run to safety on his young legs, but safety didn't have his name on its mind, unfortunately.

"STU—

Another spell stopped in midair. The Third was too late. Lord Snake had Naruto by the face, ready to attempt to capture the demon and his soul.

"Say goodbye to life, little boy!" the pale wizard cackled as he rubbed the blond's cheeks. "DANT DAEMONI!" He dug his sharp nails into rosy skin.

Naruto felt himself being eaten away face-first. The pale wizard laughed, focusing his last drops of power to his fingertips. When the green wave of energy came to, a surprise greeted him harshly.

An intense fire surrounded Naruto, burning the flesh away from Lord Snake's hands. The tot gave a petite, yet hellish roar. Nevertheless, the pale wizard was too power-thirsty to let go.

At that moment, Naruto's legs began a stagnant stride and quickened; the fire grew hotter with the speed.

Lord Snake forced himself to hold on, sinking his nails further into the now bleeding skin. Then, Naruto made gradual progress toward freedom. As he did so, three shallow trenches on each side of his face were etched by the removal of flesh.

"MUST...HOLD ON! THIS POWER SHALL BE MIIIIIINE!"

His fingertips neared end of Naruto's face and closed in on his ears. And Kyuubi grew annoyed with the painful sensations he received from his host. So he offered defence.

'_Take this, you dark lord...'_

An immense explosion of fire rang out from the guardian seal over Naruto's stomach, painlessly engulfing him and toasting Lord Snake to nearly a fleshless crisp. The action was like lighting a match with magic. And in smoking, agonising soreness, Lord Snake let go, falling to the floor with a banging creak.

The Third scooped Naruto up and vanished in a twink. Then Kabuto unfroze from the spell.

"My liege! What happened?"

"Now you decide to come back to consciousness...always when I don't have a need..."

"B-but what happened to you? Your skin, it's...falling off of you in bleeding clumps...worse than a snake's malting. I have to heal you up so you'll live! Just tell me what happened!"

The Lord groaned and got onto his knees, bowing his head. "I lost him. I lost them. But one day, I will have him and them...altogether."

**JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL**

On the other side of the portal was safety—the Forest Hidden. Resting under a tree was another man with long whitish hair that hung over his broad shoulders. He stood to greet the Third.

"So, did Minato make it?"

The third hung his head low and sighed. "My legendary, Jiraiya, I'm terribly sorry, but Lord Snake took him and Kushina right before our eyes. But Naruto barely escaped." He presented the sprog, near death, whose breath hitched and face leaked uncontrollably. Those were wounds magic could not heal.

Jiraiya took Naruto into his arms and gazed into his bloodstained eyes. He saw Minato alright.

"Since Lord Snake scratched him, he has a close connection with him in mind, allowing mental and remote surveillance. Thus, we must hide him in another realm."

Jiraiya's face fell grim. "The Muggle world should do. He wouldn't even dream of going there with that ugly face of his." Then another thought struck the legendary. "But what if Lord Snake tries to use his name to teleport to his exact place on Earth? It is possible if he knows it."

The Third winced. "He only knows the child's first name. But we must call him Naruto Uzumaki to through him off a bit."

"That doesn't sound to bad."

"And do find him a decent place and keep note of it. We will need to retrieve him in due time."

Jiraiya's sandals clunked against the ground. He had no need for portals, so he simply poofed out of sight into smoke.

**JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL**

Like it? Want me to continue? I think so if you're reading these words.

And to those Harry Potter fans reading, should I use the four houses of Hogwarts (Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw), create new names for the four houses (with your help), use the villages to separate them (Konoha, Suna, Kiri, Iwa, Kumo), or use the five elements to sort the kids and just put them in separate dorms with one boy/girl from each element in every room (earth, wind, fire, water, lightning)? I want your opinions. You matter to me a lot even though I have a hard time getting that across...


	3. Safety

**Koffeeholic's Word:**

Keep reading, it's getting good…

**JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL**

"Don't worry, Naruto. You're going to be fine here," Jiraiya whispered to the blond, strolling through a dark alley as the wind hit their faces. He pulled the blood-soaked cloth swaddling the sprog over his blue eyes for concealment. Then the sound of children's laughter followed by children running with bags occurred. They wore costumes—ghost, skeleton, and witch, and a fairy-mummy.

And the fairy-mummy tripped over her tissue and fell onto her knees. She let out a wail.

"Come on, Akiko! We gotta get back to the orphanage before the clock strikes nine!" coaxed the skeleton. "Rai isn't having the feeling of no dessert in his stomach tonight! None of us like it when I'm sugar-hungry!"

"Just get your silly behind up! I should have known something would go wrong with using toilet paper in your costume," barked the witch.

Then the ghost intervened with muffles. "Stop being so mean, Chiyan! You could at least carry her. Can't you see she's hurt?" He looked at her scraped knees in concern. "And she bruises easily!"

The witch put her hands on her hips and sneered sarcasm. "Well, Eiji! You carry her since you're _such_ the big brother, you little—"

"Kids! It doesn't look like you'll be getting home in time if you keep arguing over your little sister." Jiraiya stepped out of the shadows as the kids gasped.

Contrary to her attitude, the witch screamed, "AAAH! IT'S A...A...uh...what are you dressed as, mister?"

Jiraiya stood confused. What were they talking about? How much time had passed? What day would mean dressing up as poorly depicted creatures that ran around screaming with bags filled with candies? It could only be one day, the Muggle celebration of—

"It's Halloween already, isn't it? Well, in that case I'm a...warlock." That was the best he could come up with although he wasn't supposed to say that to Muggles.

"Cool, but we sort of lost our way. We don't know much about Konoha because we haven't been here long. Do you know which way the orphanage is?"

Sounds like magic could be of service in this predicament.

The real sorcerer saw a sign that displayed Konoha Children's Home a few streets back south. And the arrow pointed, in a forgotten direction.

'_Directus...'_

Then, the sight of an arrow that told him to go toward the path of the sunsets in the mist of darkness. He smiled to himself.

"Alright, you can take this alley back to the main street, cross the road, take the side walk to the bakery and go left to get home." The arrow pointed west.

"Thank you, mister!"

Jiraiya laughed at his praise. _'Oh, the little fairy!'_ Wandless, he pointed his finger at the little girl's knee. _'Cura!'_

"Your little sister should be okay now!"

The ghost looked at the fairy again. Her knees were no longer scraped and bleeding.

"Whoa! No kidding! Hey warlock guy, how did you—" he turned around to offer his gratitude but Jiraiya had long vanished.

"—know that..."

Jiraiya and Naruto were invisible in the sky above, the stars and the full moon twinkling over them.

"Well, looks like I've found your new home, Naruto."

He floated over the buildings and avenues of Konoha. Along the directed path, he spotted the kids; the fairy was bouncing cheerfully in front with her candy bag at her side. Their home was just a few more skips ahead.

"Keep up, you guys! I feel like I can fly!"

Jiraiya swooped down into an area with a small amount of trees. The children cut through the grass to get to the two-storey building of bricks, decorated with simple cob webs and jack-o-lanterns aglow. The fairy tripped over her tissue again, but this time she went up instead of down. She flew.

"Akiko, you're floating!"

"I am?" She surveyed herself and her wings of toilet paper did sport some sort of enchantment. "I am! I am! I—" The door rushed open to reveal a woman, an old, thin, broomstick of a woman. Before she could see what the fairy was doing, Akiko had somehow plopped onto her bottom. "Ouch!"

"There you are, Mie children! I told you to be home by nine! But it looks like the four of you will be going to bed without Halloween dessert tonight."

"Aw man!" the skeleton groaned in grief.

They all went in, their heads hung low and shoulders slumped and the door closed. Jiraiya moved in, knowing he was safe to place Naruto on the doorstep. The blond stirred and began to babble, "Ji-ji...ji...ji...ra-ra...yi-yi!" He tugged at snow-like locks of hair.

The old warlock expressed his amusement through laughter. "Boy, do you learn names fast. But that's right; I'm your godfather Jiraiya."

He ghosted over the wavering grass and conjured up juniper basket for Naruto to rest in. He placed him inside. "Ji-ji-ji!" the blond shrieked as he was being let go.

Jiraiya whispered, "I know how you feel. It's hard for me to let go of family too. But you're a wizard destined to be great. And we're all proud to know you exist to be that, just like your mom and dad were."

He tucked him in and gave his blood-soaked golden locks a ruffle. "Kyuubi, I know you can hear me and I do understand your hatred of Muggles. Even though you change for no one, promise me you'll take care of Naruto for us because if you do, you'll both be able to get revenge on Lord Snake."

'_I hear, Jiraiya, loud and clear...'_

The old wizard conjured a piece of parchment that appeared with clear handwriting scribbled onto it. He placed it on the handle of the basket and gave the door a knock.

"Good luck, future saviour. We'll be back for you soon." And Jiraiya vanished into the Halloween air with tears in his eyes.

The door of the house swung open to reveal another, yet younger woman. "Oh, my! Ms. Totaki, there's a baby out here in a basket! And he looks like he's hurt! But he's not crying any tears."

The older woman returned looking quite annoyed. "A baby you say, Nama? I don't believe someone would be insane enough to leave us an infant on Halloween night!"

"Take a look for yourself!"

She did so, picking up the juniper basket. Her face became appalled at the sight of Naruto's freshly scarred face. Shrillness escaped her pale lips.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL HAPPENED TO THIS CHILD?" The outcry echoed throughout the neighbourhood and rattled the gates of the cemetery. "It must have been some ruddy teenager indulging in devilish mischief! Nama, call the authorities and order an ambulance!"

The two rushed inside to take care of the matter. Nama scrambled for the phone to do as she was told. "Hello? We need an ambulance at the Konoha Children's Home! I found a baby in some basket that's got scars on his face that look like knife cuts! His condition? Um...let me check."

The brunette leaned into the basket only to discover no bleeding face, no open cuts or scratches, and clean, azure eyes staring back at her.

'_Ma'am, are you there? We need the condition of the baby.'_

Nama was definitely bemused. Wasn't the baby all bathed in crimson colour? Weren't his eyes all pinkish? And wasn't his hair sprinkled with blood as well and what looked like the flesh missing from his cheeks?

"The baby...he's healed...almost like magic..." She hung up zombified. "Ms. Totaki, the baby's fine. He's not bleeding...anymore."

Ms. Totaki closed the door and twisted and slid a series of locks. "Nama, I really do think you should volunteer elsewhere with all of these things you say."

"But this is serious! He's clean and burning up!"

Ms. Totaki waltzed over. "No kidding, are we? And his face is most certainly orange and red." It was frightening for her to see something without a complete explanation of how it worked and why. "I'll go grab the thermometer."

As she walked away, the Mie children crept out of their rooms.

"Hey, Nama. Are we still getting dessert tonight?" asked the skeleton. "By the way, you're still _my_ favourite volunteer."

Nama groaned. "Rai, can't you see that I'm busy with some weird Satan baby? And what do you mean by _'still getting dessert tonight?_' If Ms. Totaki said no dessert, she means no dessert for you!"

"Please, Nama-chan! We'll be good if we get dessert! I promise!" the fairy-mummy begged on her knees, stars glittering in her eyes.

Then the ghost came in. "Or we'll bug you until, uh..."

"New Year's!" finished the witch, ending with a cackle and a wiggling of her fingers.

"It's a deal!" Nama squeaked. She hated when little kids annoyed her the way the Mie did.

"And how about a kiss for the Lightning?" Rai leaned in for a kiss on his powdered cheek.

"Don't push it! I have to get back to the baby!" All the Mie gathered around the juniper basket to look at Naruto.

"Another weird thing tonight?" the witch fumed. "First an old guy dressed as some odd wizard holding a blood-soaked blanket. Then Akiko's knee scrapes got healed mysteriously. Third Akiko flew. And now a flaming baby! What next?"

Nama switched her focus to the witch, now testy with confusion and anger. "Chiyan! My head is hurting! It's Halloween, my most hated holiday! You four are making no sense! And now I have possibly the child of the devil right in front of me!" She took a deep breath. "Just go to bed and I'll wake you up to sneak your desserts to you."

"But Ms. Totaki lets us play until late on Halloween night!"

Nama was beginning to blow steam like Naruto. "Then go play!"

The Mie children gladly stomped to the playroom. When Nama looked at Naruto again, he was sitting upright, tugging at her hair, and burning it.

"MY HAIR! When you grow up, you're gonna pay for that!"

Naruto (actually Kyuubi) laughed wickedly. "Na-ma! Na-ma!" Kyuubi sure does hate Muggles if he did that.

Ms. Totaki came back with the thermometer as said. And a tub of ice she placed on the table. "Alright, bend his flaming bum over."

"An ass thermometer? Couldn't you use the mouth one?" Nama cringed. "I'm not getting burned by a fire fart!"

Ms. Totaki gave a hiss and pursed her lips together. "Mind your tongue! You break wind, not that indecent f-word!" She moved closer. "Now hold his mouth open!" Down the thermometer went. Naruto (still Kyuubi) chomped it with his toothless gums.

"He's running a fever of...129.5!"

Nama gasped. "That doesn't make any sense. The norm is no more than 99. And he burned my hair! Isn't he supposed to be hotter than that?"

"I think you should go home now, Nama. I'll take it from here." Ms. Totaki gingerly lifted Naruto out of the basket, which was singed a bit. And she found a note with slightly crispy edges from the heat.

"I want to go home, but I think I wanna stay because he's cool. So it would be fun picking out a good name for him."

Ms. Totaki plopped him into the ice tub, creating a cold steam.

"And there's a note in this basket. I can barely read it." Nama seized the note. "It seems as if it's backwards kanji." That's how the average wizard writes in terms of secrecy. Or at the most Jiraiya.

"Then hold it to the light and read it from the back!"

"Okay, just keep your panties on!" Nama held the note to the light and murmured what she saw.

'_This special child in the basket of a juniper tree is of royal blood and was ordered to live in this place by someone old and powerful. He deserves to go to a good home and live under a person that has tolerance and a gentle nature. And he's got the world in his hands with us all. So, we'll come back for him when the time comes.'_

Then there was a short script that proved to be a description of the boy.

_Hair: Blond_

_Eyes: Blue_

_Blood type: M_

_Age: 1 year_

_Birthdate: October 10_

_Birthplace: Konohagakure_

_Name: Uzumaki Naruto _

"Ms. Totaki, this kid a year old and already has a name, Uzumaki Naruto."

The grey-haired woman turned around. "Oh really. That's a weird name. But it well suits him because he's proven himself unusual anyway."

Nama sighed. "I don't agree. Uzumaki means whirlpool. Naruto is fishcake, a ramen topping. And speaking of ramen, I'm hungry."

Ms. Totaki was at ease now. Naruto finally cooled down, enough to be handled with bare hands. The only thing left to do was feed him. "There should be a bowl and some fishcake on the kitchen countertop. Take Naruto and find him something to eat."

"But if I hold him, he might burn my hair again!"

**JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL**

In the kitchen, Nama found, like Ms. Totaki said, a steaming bowl of ramen with a roll of fishcake slices on the side. She rested Naruto on the counter and picked up the chopsticks.

"Time to enjoy!"

Before she could even have a taste, Naruto interrupted. "Na-ma! Na-na-ma!"

"Hold on, your dinner's coming from the fridge. Sit tight, Fishcake."

Nama left the table for the refrigerator and began to ramble for the tiny baby food jars that she had not bought too long ago.

"What would a royal demon baby eat? Mashed carrots and chicken in gravy, banana and apple puree, or blueberry juice?" Nama asked herself as she peered over the numerous bottles. "Nothing in those categories, I bet."

When she slammed the porcelain door and faced the table, she found a sight that truly made her hate her job.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY PRECIOUS RAMEN, YOU EVIL BRAT?" She put her hands to her ears to block out the slurping; she also shook her head and closed her eyes in hopes of the image being only of imaginary proportion. The brunette opened her eyes.

Naruto sat on the table, his diaper soaking up chicken broth, his face and hair covered in noodles and various other ingredients, including the fishcake.

"Na-ma!" he gurgled as he plopped the bowl on his head, emptying the rest of the ramen on every clean inch of the countertop. He began to smack his lips together ravenously, almost seeming to be on purpose.

"Oh, now I have another mess to take care of!" Nama glared at the messy scene and its star. "You think you're so funny, don't you? But while you're growing up, I'll give you more hell than you can create!"

"Oooh!" cooed Naruto in response, earning a growl from Nama.

She snatched him off the table a rushed to a bathroom. Again, she met the Mie children around the corner in the playroom.

"Cool, the flaming baby made his first mess here!" said Rai, still a skeleton. "Maybe he'll be hanging with us in a few years. No one really wants to adopt us, it feels like."

Nama threw them a growl as well. Then she withdrew it when an idea came to mind. "Rai, sweetie-pie, my most adorable orphan, could you clean up this mess in the kitchen for me?"

Rai crossed his arms. "Pfft! Don't try that on me! You had your chance, grandma."

"I'll give you extra dessert, Rai."

"Deal!" The black makeup ran from his lips with all the drooling he was doing. "By the way, forget that I ever called you grandma, Nama. You're still hot to be 29!"

"I'm eighteen!"

**JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL**

Nama threw Naruto in the tub after peeling off that broth-soaked diaper from his bum.

"I'm glad you can't walk, Fishcake. But you're a little over a year old," she said as she squirted some bubble bath into the running water. "Shouldn't you at least be able to stand up? Or are you too royal to do that?"

Naruto splashed water onto Nama's face at the flick of his hand.

"Grrr!"

"Gru-gru!" Naruto imitated.

Nama wiped the soapy water from her eyes and grabbed the conditioning shampoo. "I hope this stuff gets in your eyes, you bastard..." The blue liquid landed in his noodle-riddled blond locks. Nama scrubbed it in. Then her cell phone rang.

"Right when I'm on the job." She fished it out of her pocket. "It's my friend, Haruna. Stay put and don't try anything." She turned to dry her hands.

"Moshi-moshi, Haruna. What's up?"

'_Nama! You missed the party! UVER WORLD PLAYED!'_

"OMG! MY FAVOURITE BAND PLAYED AND I MISSED THEM! But I told you I had to work!"

'_At a job with no pay? Consider switching over, much?'_

"But tonight I already had my dose of Halloween—a freaky baby that had a fever of over 100! I think he's related to the devil!"

'_Call down, Nama. Have a bowl of ramen and go home. Maybe wash off all of this nonsense with a shower and look toward November, which will be here in less than two hours.'_

"But it's not nonsense! The baby wasted the only bowl here and Ichiraku's is closed!"

'_That's right, you're nonsense. Anyway, Happy Halloween and good night. Ja ne!'_

She returned to Naruto, who was doing a task that is usually disregarded and unthinkable of a baby. But he was a truly a sprog/tot at his age. He was diligently scrubbing away at his hair with both hands, holding his eyes shut. Probably Kyuubi wanted to get his host clean and hurry on out of the tub for bedtime.

"Gosh, you learn fast."

From there, Nama rinsed away the soapy suds and dried him off. After finding him a diaper and some pyjamas, she went to find a blanket. There weren't any more beds in the nursery, so the blood-drenched blanket in the basket had to be replaced so he could sleep in it.

"Ms. Totaki, do we have any more clean blankets?"

Ms. Totaki presented an orange, plush blanket. "This should do." She discarded the old blanket and went on to place the other in the basket. Not as expected, there wasn't any dry (or burned) blood waiting to be cleaned up.

Naruto squeaked at the sight of the blanket, tugging at it eagerly.

"My, the boy seems to love this colour!" Nama said, mocking Ms. Totaki. She stuffed the blanket in, tucking the blond inside.

"All is well." The grey-haired woman was at ease. Then she yelled, "Time for dessert, children! And no eating candy into the night afterward! You'll be bringing it to the tables."

The doors of every room shut, lights dimming down the hall. Oddly dressed children scrambled for the dining hall—honeybees, kings and queens, rabbits, robots, birds, devils, angels, and cats and dogs. However, the Mie children awaited theirs after the lights for bedtime went out.

Ms. Totaki quietly walked to the kitchen to fetch the cake, cookies, and ice-cream. "Nama, I suppose you can go home now. But would you like anything to take home?"

Nama remembered her promise to her torturers. "I guess I'll have a few slices of cake and cookies. What kind are they?"

"The cake is dark chocolate glazed with hot caramel and the cookies are miscellaneous. The ice-cream, well, I'd have to check. Does that spark any interest?" the older woman answered back, rather prim.

"Definitely."

Ms. Totaki disappeared into the dining hall, giving Nama a chance to check on the Mie children, to ask what they would like to snack on.

She knocked on the boys' door. When she opened it, the girls where there too, sorting their candies from a large pile. They'd have to leave when the other boys come back.

"Hey, Nama. Where's my dessert? Or is it you?" Rai suggestively greeted for them all as he leaned on the doorpost.

Nama sighed, annoyed. "What do you want? They've got dark chocolate cake with caramel and different types of cookies. I don't know about the ice-cream."

Rai rubbed some of the makeup from his face. "Cookies, four for each of us; five slices of cake with extra caramel, and one cup of ice-cream with four spoons should take care of us. None of us really care about the flavour of anything. And four cups of milk to wash it all down." He turned to his siblings. "Sounds good to us?"

"Yeah, Rai. Now shut the door and stop annoying Nama," dryly spat the now hatless witch.

Nama went to the kitchen and grabbed the items desired. She was greatly surprised that Ms. Totaki didn't take a look at her. She cut five decent-sized slices of cake and drizzled them heavily with hot caramel, leaving one dry for the ghost Mie, Eiji. She grabbed sixteen cookies; there were four types and most were sugar cookies with coloured crystal sprinkles. Bats, pumpkins, ghosts, and the classic chocolate chip they were.

Then there was the ice-cream. Like Ms. Totaki told Nama, she had to check on it. It had two flavours in its large box. One side seemed to be somehow akin to vanilla with bat shapes scattered in it. The other was of a pumpkin shade with, of course, miniature jack-o-lanterns in it. Even its smell proved a pumpkin relation.

"Ms. Totaki, I've gotta put these plates in my car. I'll be back for some milk and ice-cream," the brunette lied. She rushed back to the Mie children, quietly sneaking the cake and cookies beyond the door.

"Thanks, Nama. Now go get us the milk and ice-cream!" Rai hissed.

Nama went again and came back with four cups of milk, a bowl of four ice-cream scoops of both flavours, and spoons. She offered a bag to hide the evidence after they finished. Nearly out of breath, she asked, "Anything else?"

Rai looked around. "Chiyan? Eiji? Akiko?" Then he asked himself. "Me? Looks like you're clear to go home. G'night, Nama and thanks." He took two pieces of cake to himself, earning glares from the others.

"Thank you, Nama," said the rest in unison, still glaring at the greedy skeleton.

"You're welcome."

The brunette shut the door slowly and left the kids to eat in secrecy. They seemed happy to be the trouble makers they were. Then, in time, they just might have a fifth kid to add to the group, Naruto.

Speaking of Naruto, he was fast asleep in his juniper basket. It looked as if nothing could harm him whilst he was rocked back and forth by a nonexistent wind.

"Goodnight, Naruto." And the door closed behind her.

'_Maybe I will like it here... '_

**JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL**

**Koffeeholic's Word:**

So far, so nice. How did you like the Mie and Nama? They won't be the Dursley's. But their order from oldest to youngest is Rai, Chiyan, Eiji, and Akiko if you didn't get it in the chapter.

Naruto can walk and do more than repeat names. However, Kyuubi has to let his body heal before any more fun can take place. He nearly toasted the poor baby to ash with that blast. (Also, Kyuubi is partially responsible for his ability to learn tasks quickly aside from the magic.) And the juniper basket! A legend I read said the juniper tree bears sacred flowers that offer protection to the wearer. Even the wood can be used, so Jiraiya did a good job there.

***The portal and the time jump***

You'd think Jiraiya would arrive at his destination instantly the way he poofs in an out of sight, but this is different; this arriving act was from the enchanted realm to the Muggle World/Realm. Since he is travelling between points of existence separated by the veils of time _and_ space, it will take him longer to arrive. When going to a place within your current realm, it is instantaneous because the only setback is the veil of space itself. Even with a wand using elemental portals and gateways, the travel still won't speed up by seconds.

Sources: _Harry Potter _and _The CRAFT: the true Witchcraft _(by yours truly...)


	4. The Aftermath

**Koffeeholic's Word:**

So far, so good...

**JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL**

The aftermath of Lord Snake's doing made quite a mess in the Enchanted Realm. Before the sun could give a decent view of the villages in the farthing, the wretched being had vanished to his previous hideout.

The Third Magnus Hokage, now the current stood from the balcony of the Froggblatts Academy of Wizardry and Witchery and voiced his directions to his subjects. Selected members of the Royal Court stood behind him to watch for the snake in the far away grass.

"Magnus and magna, lords and ladies, mage and miga, and other peoples of Konohagakure, do lend me your ears," he gallantly ordered aloud. "We have overcome such a force that could have ended our very existence the night before. Unfortunately, the event has ended the lives our beloved ruler and his wife, the Fourth Magnus Hokage, Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina. Before he left to sacrifice his own life for our chance of survival, he appointed me to lead you all once more. I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, do agree to take charge of that role in my golden years. And to exercise my regained authority, the Royal Court and I will offer our condolences to those that have been widowed. Furthermore, our previous rulers' funeral will take place at sunset; after I see that this wound has been mended well enough, there will be no more mentioning of it. Am I understood, my people?"

The crowd made an affirmative shout.

"All is well now. You may return to what you do."

**JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL**

Over the rivers and beyond the Valley Endless, Lord Snake's hideout remained hidden from most eyes. It appeared to be a regular mountain from the outside, but underneath the layers of earth laid a network of tunnels and dens, all winding down to a pit of fiery magma used to destroy things thought worthless or threatening, especially wizards and witches. If his wand ever had broken, Lord Snake and Kabuto could enter and exit from the base that lead out to the middle of the Valley Endless.

Inside, Kabuto treated Lord Snake of his smouldering wounds after putting the Akatsuki in storage.

"In the Ianua you go! _Espatium Crystallo!_" His master never liked the idea of letting them all roam free. So he tweaked the charm around their previous leader's neck to create a nesting place for them. However, this charm rested within the folds of his shirt, as opposed to Kabuto's.

The sable cloaks and red clouds disappeared into the crystal with moans and groans of unfair treatment.

"Now, my liege. I'll do my best to make you as good as new," Kabuto said, trying to stifle his devastation. "Just bear with me." He raised his wand and casted, "_Cura Maximus!_"

A chirping blue lightning bolt rushed from the tip of his wand, reflecting sparks from his glasses. Lord Snake hissed in pain as the shock surged through his body. Then he sighed in relief as the chirping quieted and lightning bolt dispersed.

"Thank you, Kabuto. Now I can get back to work." He leapt off the table, feeling as if he could go back in time to correct his blunder, defeating all of the demon hosts and returning with immortality. But his nerves told him otherwise.

"OUCH! THAT BLOODY HURTS!"

Lord Snake gently tried to reposition himself on the table. Kabuto had to be of service.

"My liege, be careful! You're still vulnerable on the inside," Kabuto sweetly informed whilst easing his master back in place. "But you appear to be good as new! No molten skin and singed hair in sight." He took a step back and tucked his wand behind him to get a better look at his master.

He was pale as a fresh scroll. He looked as sturdy as a masculine ogre. He was lean, yet thin and slender as a snake. The sleek eyes in his face resembled glass structures in their jade presence and the pupils were nearly invisible for they were merely slivers of black. He had glossy, charcoal flowing hair like that of a hero, which he was most definitely not. His ears were of the elfin variety, gently peaking out of his dark, glossy mane.

Kabuto put his hand over his cheek to cover a growing patch of redness. He had begun to blush.

"Kabuto, don't make me get off this table and turn your head into a hundred rats! I see your face!" gritted Lord Snake. "I may even be generous and make it ten since you find me _physically_ appealing!" He eased and gave his hair a playful toss.

That made the silver-haired boy smile and turn his head in the other direction. His blush even spread across his face.

Then the matter hit him. On the inside, his master was festering with the burned flesh, screaming nerves and pain he had gained earlier. The spell he casted cured the appearance by forcing the outside damage inside the target to be healed by the magic within. To the caster, a simple side effect may result in some resemblance of the damages on their target. In this case it was a peculiar redness of the skin and insanity.

The "blush" had spread from his face to his arms and his smiling burned into laughter.

"Excuse me, my liege! I have to...hahaha...excuse myself for a moment! HAHAHAHAAAA!" he informed, throwing his hands into the air and vanishing with a cool steam.

Lord Snake propped himself up and began to stare off into the distance, etching a window of visibility onto the earthen walls. He created a large circumference with an artful circular motion of his green eyes. The dirt faded away and the opening left behind finally displayed the desired object.

'_What is the Third Magnus up to now?'_

His words fluttered off his tongue in a glittery stir and left for the opening; they mixed and churned while they made pictures.

Suddenly, the Valley Endless was speeding by in a vivid green hue, closing in on a sun setting on Konohagakure.

_The Third Magnus Hokage's voice resounded over the murmuring voices of distressed witches and wizards weeping and sniffling._

"_This now is the ceremonial memoriam of our dearly beloved Fourth Magnus Hokage, Minato Namikaze and his wife, Magna Foxum, Kushina Uzumaki. As the sun of our First Wizard, Rikudou Senin, makes its descent below the horizon, the Royal Court and I shall give highlights of their lives then deepen my instructions."_

_The crowd lifted their sorrowful heads up to listen. Even sprogs nearly unaware the rulers existed sported mournful emotions._

_The Third stretched his arms out wide._

"_The Fourth Hokage, as all of us rulers, was born in our Konohagakure on a bright January morning and I was there to witness his birth at about two-hundred ninety years. I said to his mother, "He will grow and do great things. He might even become Hokage someday." As he grew, Minato displayed such unmatchable talents in magic, I dare compared him to another prodigy of mine.* I even fashioned his wand out of elm wood and gave it a phoenix feather under the Phoenix constellation before he began schooling at the Konohagakure Wizarding Academy. He greatly appreciated it with his fiery powers. Minato was a fire wizard, mind you."_

"_In school, I was a teacher of his. I've always given guidance and watched him carefully, but that was unnecessary for the young wizard; he was perfect. In his second year, I had dubbed him a fire mage. Then, I decided to withdraw the law from our Second Hokage, allowing wizards, witches, and other creatures from far places to attend the Academy at will. It was then I saw that Minato had been smitten. A redhead witch from the Hidden Tides became the holder of his favour and soon became his other half. She possessed the abilities of three of the five elements, earth, wind, and fire. And at the time, she was the host of the nine-tailed demon we call, Kyuubi. She was Kushina Uzumaki."_

"_The two graduated as Head Boy and Head Girl in their seventh year. The Royal Court and I promoted them from mage and miga to Lady Foxum and Lord Flash for displaying such talent. They later married and I realised that I had to retire in my old age; I was nearly three centuries and ten years old! A new Hokage of this village had to be chosen. It was between my two prodigies, Lord Flash Minato and Lord Snake Orochimaru. The decision was somewhat difficult. However, the Royal Court and I appointed Minato for the job, making him Magnus Flash, the Fourth Magnus Hokage. Shortly after his inauguration, Kushina was with child. She then went into labour on an early October evening, also unleashing the Kyuubi along with her son being pushed after."_

"_Kyuubi ravaged the village, causing mountains to crumble, oceans and rivers to rise, and people to run and scream with fear. Minato hurried from the Hidden Tides in a flash, just as it was being destroyed by a tail. He rushed to hospital to briefly visit his wife. I was there, tending to her needs and offering comfort. I offered to battle the Kyuubi myself then return it to its previous container—Kurama's Cradle. But he refused and vowed to defeat the demon alone and find a new host. He left Kushina with a kiss on her cheek, saying his presence will always be near, even after death. He disappeared in a flash and rushed to the Valley Endless for the Kyuubi." The Third returned to his chair._

_Another man came forward to speak. His hair was a snowy white and his tunic cloak was a soft burgundy. His sandals quietly clunked along._

"_I am the Legendary Warlock, Jiraiya. I did battle the Kyuubi for some time and survived after escaping with the trails of its fiery blood running under eyes. All of our forces, all within couldn't put the demon to rest again. Once the Hokage arrived, almost all the shadow clones recently conjured had vanished; there was blood-soaked terrain replacing the once grassy floors of the valley. He pulled out his wand and darted to a high hill where Kyuubi was perching, thrashing his nine tails around. The few remaining could barely see him moving because it was like lightning, a flash. Minato casted the currently forbidden Shiki Fuujin spell and captured Kyuubi in a temporary scroll, with my help of course," he proudly announced, making him somewhat resemble a peacock at the moment._

"_Then he took the burning scroll back to the hospital because he told me he would seal the Kyuubi in his newborn son, making him a hero to us all. He took the baby into his realm that he created and sealed away the demon with a second spell, the Hakke no Fuuin Shiki. He returned victorious, with a name for the little host—Naruto. A year later, a villain came from hiding to round up the host for his personal use; in the middle of the hunting, he damaged many villages not just physically, but mentally. He took the life of Fourth Hokage and his wife without a care. He sought after Naruto, but failed. And thanks to yours truly, he's in a safer place now, waiting to avenge our sorrows in the future." He returned to his post to stand._

_The Third came back to the balcony. He saw the spellbound faces of his people and gave them one last drop of verbal enchantment._

"_Thank you for your highlights, Jiraiya. To further what he spoke, the demon hosts will now be serving as saviours, meaning they will be trained to defeat the villain. We will use them in order by the number of tails their demon has, from one to nine. Our nine tails is our strongest, hence we hid him far away from us enchanted, saving the best for last. Lastly, the villain's name is Orochimaru, Lord Snake by the Royal Court." He gave attention to the non-existent sun, which had made the sky a pinkish, reddish yellow in its absence. "And now the sun has set fully. We will commence the bodiless burial of our Fourth Hokage and wife. May wherever their beings reside be peaceful for eternity."_

_Two wizards below in an open grassy area waved their wands, causing a metallic statue to rise from the ground. It was of the Fourth and his wife; they looked rather majestic and powerful together. They both held their heads up to the sky and the Fourth's arm was placed gently around his wife's shoulder. Their rocky locks of hair stilly blew in the air; their cloaks billowed in a frozen manner, implying the wind was always there._

_Then a long patch of grass turned over to reveal a granite block, symbolising a grave cover._

_And in a medieval print on the statue, there was a brief script._

"_**Here lies the memoriam of our brave-hearted Fourth Magnus Hokage: Minato Namikaze, Konoha's Yellow Flash, and his loving, inviting wife, Magna Foxum: Kushina Uzumaki. Although they departed from us by the hands of a villain, they left us a reminder of their reign—a son that will one day be the saviour of us all."**_

The window on the wall had crumbled into dust as the scene ended. Kabuto reappeared.

"I'm back, my liege," he said, casually. "Is there anything you would like?"

Lord Snake let out a sigh. "No, Kabuto. But the old man is Hokage again and he's planned to kill me with the demon hosts, calling them saviours."

"What? That's terrible!" He rushed to his master's side.

The villain brightened, giving a slithering smile. "Not truly, Kabuto. I may have a better chance of capturing them this way." He patted Kabuto's head lightly.

"Excellent! So when do we start again?"

Lord Snake answered the eagerness. "In time, my servant. In time."

**JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL**

**Koffeeholic's Word:**

*This Tom Riddle is our Lord Snake, Orochimaru. He and Minato were the same age and friends at (Froggblatts) School. I may even put them in them in the same house/room during flashbacks.

And a memoriam is a bodiless burial (I coined it!), usually marked by statue or empty grave—not a misspelling...


	5. Alpha

**Koffeeholic's Word:**

Now, I begin where I wanted in the first place!

**JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL**

Days had begun to pass, and the sprog host was indeed being gingerly neglected within them. But the Mie children took interest in the events he left behind him. After his first night at the orphanage without his favoured orange blanket, Naruto gave Ms. Totaki and Nama a surprise.

The white sheet that swaddled him was black and crisp—burned. Yet the juniper basket remained unaffected.

"To-to! Na-ma!" the one-year-old laughed as he was being hoisted out of the ruined fabric.

Ms. Totaki rolled her eyes. "It's only been since Halloween, one day ago, and he has already managed to curse out my name." She then thought, placing him on the table, _'The devil's brat! Maybe if we had him as our Thanksgiving turkey, I wouldn't lose my sanity!'_

Naruto was rather plump and stuffed with savoury foods before the night he had just about lost his very life. His appointed guardian and mother fed him fresh, steamed carrots among delicate edible strands that swam in a light broth, flavoured chicken severings, and a honeyed pudding with lemon zest and a spoon of apple stewing was given as a light pudding.

"Maybe we shouldn't have given him this blanket, Ms. Totaki," Nama tiredly said. "He seems to like orange things a lot!" She gave a yawn.

"I'll go find some orange towel for him. Just wait here." Ms. Totaki left for a nearby bathroom.

Nama rested her head on a table and closed her eyes for a moment. What happened behind closed doors—eyes, in this case—was expected and unexpected. Naruto, still on the table, had stood up. And he began to walk around.

Ms. Totaki showed up again with the towel she mentioned. But her face was appalled in every wrinkled direction. "He walks!"

The blond ignored her and waddled over to Nama; he shook her by her shoulders, tugging at her hair, babbling for her to awaken. His endeavours were to no avail. "Nama! Up-up! Up!"

Ms. Totaki swiftly plucked him from his actions and reluctantly hoisted him onto her shoulders. "Nama, get up! This devil was trying to curse you!" The brunette sleepily lifted her head.

"What?"

Ms, Totaki shook her head. "This devil was trying to curse you, Nama! JINX, HEX, VOODOO! Honestly, you didn't get enough sleep last night!"

Naruto then protested, "NO NO, TO-TO!"

"Hey, he can say your name, Ms. Totaki!" Nama pointed out.

"Don't become infatuated with him, Nama!" Ms. Totaki hissed. "He's trouble. Before long, he'll have this entire orphanage cursed and bewitched at this rate!" she continued as Naruto fidgeted in her bosom. And fed up to the brim with this verbal mistreatment, he finally cried at the top of his little lungs a blood-curdling cry full of light sparkles.

Nama decided to hold her ears, but she somehow hesitated to do so. She just sat there in a still trance.

When the noise died, the doors across the hall all opened, allowing sleepy and confused heads to peak out, trying to fathom the cause of the unfamiliar noise. Then the Mie children crept out of their doors to see; their faces where plastered with last night's affairs—costume makeup and sugary delights.

"W-what the heck is going on out here?" asked Rai. Eiji ghosted from behind him, his costume was still attached to him, but only draped over his shoulders.

Nama turned around in her chair to answer. "Rai, Eiji. Go back to bed," she said with more energy than she had before. "It's just Fishcake." She put a smile on her face.

Ms. Totaki's face contorted in disbelief. The old woman looked at Naruto again, who was giggling his little blond head off. "No-no, To-to!"

As the doors that lined the halls shut and the focus of Nama and Ms. Totaki remained glued to Naruto, Rai whispered into his little brother, sending him to their sisters' room. He dragged a small, yet full bag of Halloween trash to the door. He peered around the corner and up the staircase, making sure Eiji carried out his mission properly. He knocked gently.

Then the rotting-butterscotch-breathed witch came to the door. "What?" she growled quietly, sounding as if she already knew the procedures of this situation. Eiji whispered, "Give me your trash so I can take it to the kitchen while we still have time. Ms. Totaki can't find out we had dessert!"

"Okay! You don't have to whisper-shout!"

Eiji shhhed his older sister. "And be quiet, sour-breath!" He snatched the bag of candy wrappers, sugar-coated sticks, and candied-apple cores and went back down the stairs. Eiji made sure Nama and Ms. Totaki weren't paying any attention.

The ghost skated by Rai to pick up the second bag. And once he began his ambling to the kitchen, he tripped over his sheet, landing on the carpet with a loud, head-turning thump.

"Oh, crap!" Rai flew out to catch the bags to hide them, but he fell too. Right on top of the bags and popping them open.

"MIE CHILDREN! I COULD HAVE SWORN THAT I TOLD YOU NOT TO HAVE ANY DESSERT ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT!" Ms. Totaki shouted through the confetti of raining wrappers and utensils.

Rai quickly found his ticket out of the woods. He combated, "Nama gave us the dessert!" Eiji added, "Yeah! She made us eat it too!"

Nama turned to Ms. Totaki in fear. "I didn't do that—I mean I did! But they threatened to annoy me until New Year's! It's their fault, Ms. Totaki!"

The grey-haired woman scowled. "Nama, I am very disappointed. You can barely stand up to these brats and you call yourself a young lady! Goodness! I should just call your parents and send you back home. You're filthy rich if I'm not mistaken!"

"But I don't like it at home! There's nothing to do but be lazy and indulge!" Nama replied. "And I don't like those kids that my dad made me be friends with. They're so boring!"

"But you're not taking responsibility and maturity seriously! And what you do and don't like doesn't matter to everyone under the sun!" She became so angry that she dropped Naruto without noticing.

The blond wanted to cry from hitting his bum so hard. Instead, he found himself on the table. "Stop! To-to!" he said, making his sitting stance complete.

Ms. Totaki groaned. "And yet another word to his vocabulary!"

**JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL**

Then the years had flown by. Naruto was well-liked by the many families that came in for an adoption—they even commented on his whisker scars with smiles and loving words, but Ms. Totaki always had the wrong choice of words when they asked about his behaviour.

"He's the Devil's seed for God's sake!" she would spat.

The boy had a broad vocabulary, a good sense of direction, and a wide range of other abilities. Once he was caught juggling a few shapes in the playroom. Then he was seen pulling large tomes from the bookshelf and laying them on his lap while he turned the pages. And this was all before he was old enough to attend school.

Aside from being exceptionally intelligent, he was still mischievous as he was in his infancy. Naruto even spent his time with the Mie children, wreaking havoc over Nama's brunette head along with them. This he very much enjoyed, but unlike the Mie, he actually felt sorry for Nama after a deed had been done.

Strangely, the "events" that occurred while he was in diapers seemed to have disappeared and Kyuubi seemed to be non-existent for some time until one stormy, October night.

'_**Naruto...Naruto...'**_

The blond leapt from his mattress. "W-who's there?"

'_**Naruto...Naruto...'**_

"I asked who's th-there!" he screeched to the voice for clarity.

'_**More like what's there, Naruto...'**_

Then a reddish-orange smoke filled his solitary room, urging him to scramble for refuge. However, none was available. "WHAT ARE YOU? WHY ARE YOU HERE? HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?" He cried as he hugged his legs to his chest. Soon he stopped because the colour radiated from his stomach and burned like that of a thousand hells.

'_**I am Kurama. Most know me as Kyuubi. I am the demon within you... the demon that is part of you...'**_

The blond cried more and more, scared and confused.

'_**Stop your tears and listen to me. There is no need to be afraid...'**_

No change occurred; there were still the wails and tears of a five-year-old. Kyuubi felt there was no other way to go about his intention. He set the room ablaze with his own fire.

'_**WILL YOU DO AS I SAY NOW?!'**_

"ALL RIGHT! ALL RIGHT!" Naruto pleaded. "Just don't burn me up!"

Kyuubi laughed and extinguished the flames. _**'A smart boy you are...Now, Naruto. We're in terrible danger. The evil force is coming from where you left him to kill you and separate us. I can feel his presence right within these walls. Only you can stop him...'**_

"But how?"

'_**Your magic, Naruto...your magic...'**_

"But I don't have any magic! I'm not any wizard!"

'_**You are...you are...'**_Kyuubi's voice had died and the flames had burst into a bright green. A chilling, serpentine laughter chased after it. The glow from his stomach flooded his cheeks and also became green, highlighting his whiskers in burning agony. He cupped his cheeks and called for help. And a new voice answered as a freezing set of claws sunk into Naruto's face.

'_**At last I've found you...Naruto. The demon...your powers...will be mine!'**_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! NAMA! MS. TOTAKI! RAI! HELP ME!"

'_**No use, boy...they can't hear you anymore...'**_

The freezing claws slithered onto Naruto's neck, choking him into blinding pain. The blond tried to free himself from this living nightmare, yet the voice and claws seemed to be much stronger although weightless.

_**DANT DAEMONI! DANT DAEMONI! DANT DAE...'**_

The voice was interrupted by the breaking of dawn. It released its deathly grip and left Naruto senseless in a cold sweat.

"Aaaahh...help...he's after me..."

"Naruto, wake up!" a voice ordered. "It's your birthday! You're six years old today!"

Naruto stirred a bit. "What? Rai?"

The voice spoke again. "Yeah, buddy. It's the Lightning Man." The voice's owner pulled Naruto from the mattress by his sweaty hand. "Looks like you had a rough night." He stared at the bed and noticed the crispy, singed sheets, tarnished by some fiery force.

"Really?"

"Yeah! Your sheets are totally toasted!" Rai gestured for Naruto to take a look at the damage that had occurred.

The blond was frightened. "I don't know why this keeps happening. And I just woke up from some sort of nightmare..." he declared, hoarse-throated. "...that I don't even remember."

"Well, the Mie kids are going to make the rest of the day a dream come true!" He made Naruto stand up. "Starting with a secret breakfast of whatever you want! Including birthday cake!"

"Okay. Maybe I'll feel better with a little cake."

"That's the spirit, Naruto!" Rai said as he scratched his own mop of orange hair. "Now get dressed. Eiji and me will be waiting upstairs." The room they were in was the basement, in total truth. Ms. Totaki decided to keep him down there for a while since another Halloween was approaching.

Then off to the kitchen they went to begin the special day after Naruto had donned a long-sleeved orange shirt and some patched overalls.

**JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL**

As the Mie children pampered Naruto with delights and showered him with treats at the dining table, Nama was tending to the rest of the orphanage by herself and planning to get a cake and some ramen for her favourite orphan just to show him how special he was to her.

But the phone rang, disturbing her thoughts. She answered it; the person on the other end was Ms. Totaki.

"Ms. Totaki?"

'_Yes, Nama.'_

"Where are you?"

'_I'm at the reality company right now. The owner says he wants to buy the orphanage because it once belonged to his family in many decades ago.'_

Nama was scared. "But what about the kids? What about Fishcake?"

'_Don't worry about them or him. He says he knows many loving families that want to adopt and I've allowed them to come to an open house in two days. I'm even getting more than nine million yen for it!'_

"But Ms. Totaki!"

'_Nama, you won't have to work anymore. You can finally go to a college in America if you want.'_

"But Ms. Totaki, I don't want to go anywhere. I want to take care of the kids...here."

'_Nama! This is for the best! Start gathering boxes and put them in the closets for packing. I will be there shortly.'_

The call ended with a harsh click, leaving Nama in silence and disbelief. She had practically become fond of her payless job. And there was always the incentive keeping her happy. That was Naruto. One day she told him that she'd never let him fall into the wrong hands if Ms. Totaki finds the "right" family for him.

"_I promise I won't, Fishcake. I do."_

"_Thanks, Nama. I really like that a lot."_

The brunette decided to take a drive to the bakery to pick up a cake, hoping it would ease her worries. She found a nice vanilla bean cake that came with free ice-cream and went on to a ramen shop.

At the ramen shop, Ichiraku Ramen, the owner was acting unusually outside of his character. He sported a smile warm and wide with happiness, giving away free bowls of ramen to whoever walked through his doors. When Nama finally made it pass the long line of smiling people in colourful robes, she got herself a nice chicken donburi bowl for herself, and a large miso ramen for the birthday boy of course.

"Gosh, Mr. Ichiraku! You sure do have a lot of customers today!" she declared. "What's the special occasion that's got the town knocking down the neighbourhood to come here?"

The joyous owner asked the brunette, "Miss Nama, aren't you aware?"

"Well, I know it is my friend's birthday."

Ichiraku only smiled harder. "Well, your friend is terribly special as is this day. Many good wishes to him!" Nama took her order into her hands, "But really, Ichiraku. What's today?"

The man relaxed his face and became serious. "Today, Miss Nama, is an anniversary of an event that only a particular people could have witnessed. On this day six years ago, a baby boy of a ruling family defeated an evil man that killed hundreds—maybe even thousands of innocent people. And we believe he's been hidden in this city, waiting for some other evil to take on. And, I'm giving out free ramen to celebrate with even Muggles like yourself."

Nama was confused, scared. "Okay...Are you serious?"

"Only if you want me to be, Miss Nama." Ichiraku slowly backed away after putting a jug filled by a golden beverage next to the ramen and donburi. "Here's a nice drink, free of charge!"

Swiping the bowls off the counter, Nama left in a hurry. Back in the restaurant, Ichiraku was getting a scolding by an older woman. That was his mother, the feisty old broad.

"Hisashi! What did I tell you about telling the _Muggles_ about the Saviour? The Ministry doesn't have much tolerance for this town anymore!"

"But I didn't even use the word! I didn't use any names!"

"But nothing! You are only supposed to say—"

The owner looked back to answer, "Never tell them anything other than the ramen specials I offer. There not as stupid as we think because they can't do what we can do."

"Good boy."

**JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL JOxOL**

Nama returned to the orphanage with ramen and cake, ready to give Naruto the best sixth birthday party of his life, maybe his last birthday party if Ms. Totaki ever casts him to the wind in some wrongful adoption like the wicked witch she is.

She carried the cake and rice and ramen into the kitchen with Rai's help and prepared a cake-cutter under some water while Chiyan and Akiko set up the plates. And Eiji kept the birthday boy company.

"All set, Nama," announced Chiyan.

Akiko chirped, "Let's go get the birthday boy!" All the Mie children followed after her as she ran out of the kitchen and to the backyard.

"Hey Naruto! Get over here!" Rai yelled to the blond sitting on a bench, pensively staring into a bright green bush that seemed to be staring back. The blond snapped his head around. "Is my birthday ready?"

"Yeah! Come on in!"

In they all went and sat at the table. Nama had already sliced cake onto everyone's plates and placed cups of a strange golden beverage beside the plates.

"Uh, Nama..." said Rai.

"Yes?"

He held up his cup. "What's this?" Everyone looked into their cups and felt the same. What was that brew? Is it poisonous?

Nama grabbed the jug. She peered at the silver label, which was blank and useless. "It doesn't say." Then Naruto gave it a try. His findings were different. "It's not blank, Nama," he interjected. "It says Baba Bajick's Butter Beer, Virgin Style. "

Nama became confused. "Fishcake, I really don't see anything. What are you reading?"

"The label! It's not empty. And there's a moving picture too!" He saw a pudgy grey haired lady waving and pouring the drink into glasses on a table in the picture.

Nama put down the jug. "If you say so, but no one else sees what you see. So Rai, this is butter beer, according to the birthday boy."

"Cool, alcohol!" Rai gulped down the drink in excitement, but felt nothing in return. "Hey! What's up? No buzz!" he spat.

"Naruto said it was virgin, meaning IT HAS NO ALCOHOL!" Nama went from menacing to kind instantly. "Now drink up! No one here wants to upset the birthday boy, do they?"

"No."

Everyone else tasted the fizzy golden drink, which had the delightful flavour of butterscotch and cream soda. The cake tasted just as good—orange-coloured vanilla bean with a melting orange fudge ice-cream centre. Then came Naruto's ramen.

"Time for the birthday song!"

Then a knock on the kitchen door was heard. Behind it were other children hungry for sugary birthday snacks. A redhead shouted, "I heard there's a birthday party going on. We want to be invited too!"

Chiyan and Rai answered simultaneously, "Private Party!"

Akiko continued, "Naruto doesn't even know you. Do you Birthday Boy?"

"Not at all," he replied.

Nama spoke to the other children. "You heard him. Now leave or I'll make sure you never get adopted!"

"Gosh, it's just some cheap cake and ice-cream. I hope it goes to your thighs and kills you! And I'll tell Ms. Totaki!"

All was well after they made Naruto blush as they sang Happy Birthday to him, until someone else barged in.

"Happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday to—"

"WHAT THE DEVIL IS GOING ON IN HERE?!" It was Ms. Totaki. And she looked burning furious.

"We're just celebrating Naruto's Birthday. Have a problem?" queried Nama, snidely.

Ms. Totaki was silenced. "GET OUT OF HERE! ALL OF YOU!" She then knocked the rest of the cake onto the floor with a swift fist. "And you!" Her hand reached for Naruto's collar, but missed by fractions of an inch.

Naruto got away.

Well, more like vanished, for truthfulness. Into a reddish puff of smoke he went and somehow arrived in his basement. And Ms. Totaki was right at his door.

"Pack your things! I've found the proper home for you to be shipped off too!" she hissed. "And those Mie brats nor Nama can save you!" Then she exited with a slam of the door.

Shocked, there Naruto sat in the dark, wondering what just happened and whether he should pack. Furthermore, he worried _where_ he was packing for and _whom._


	6. Under the Stairs and the Zoo

**iKoffeeholic's Word:**

Yup, it's starting again.

**The Beginning of the End: Under the Stairs and the Zoo**

_Green eyes. Those green eyes. The ones from the rose hedges._

_That's all the boy could remember seeing...before he couldn't see._

_He complained to his new family the very next day he had gone blind. Or, as the eye doctor had told them, gone nearsighted. Mysteriously. "Nothing a pair of glasses won't fix," the doctor chuckled. "Not a problem."_

_He presented Naruto a round wire pair and fitted them to his face. "They make you look very smart, young man." He gave Naruto a pat on the head._

"_And how much will this be costing us?" choked Hanami, strangely eager to let the boy go blind._

"_Oh, for him? No charge!" the optometrist laughed. "I've never met a boy so special."_

_That nearly made Yuukei throw his soda can at the doctor's head for such an insult._

**The Beginning of the End: Under the Stairs and the Zoo**

How's Naruto doing about now? More like what he's doing.

Here the boy is, four years later. Almost eleven years old, the lucky child, for life with the Atsushi family had been a living hell ever since he got locked in their car. So far, he's been cleaning, cooking, and most of all, taking abuse—the most from his _brother_, Yuukei.

Although starved to scrawniness and handicapped by glasses that were constantly broken, Naruto was a swift and accurate fellow. Before the pudgy villain could catch him, he had already escaped to his meagre dwelling, the cupboard under the stairs. Not that Kenta and Hanami believed or cared, but Naruto's _abnormality _was their primary reason to keep him hidden from the neighbours by stuffing him in that cupboard.

Ms. Totaki called them once and explained Naruto's origin. They thought she had gone mad and offered to take her to the hospital, yet she insisted she was in her right mind. That she was.

'_...he's a wizard, Kenta! With a gruelling, ugly demon inside his belly! It says so on the letter left in his carriage from his arrival!'_

"_Gina! No strange things have happened since that Tuesday except your phone call! Now if you would kindly end this conversational nonsense and let me continue sleeping!"_

But portly Kenta wasn't the only ear to hear the news. Hanami listened in secret, only seeming to still be asleep. In her dreams, strange events that occurred around Naruto flashed by.

'_It all makes sense now,'_ she murmured. The continuous images of her forcing an ugly sweater of Yuukei's over Naruto's head until it had mysteriously shrunken to fit a hand puppet. Then came those six hideous scars the boy had on his cheeks. Hanami drowned them in the cheapest foundation and concealer she could find, but to no avail, the makeup seemed to burn away and crumble off. For that he was punished. Since makeup couldn't hide the imperfections, she took him to the barbers' for haircuts—he had his head shaved as if he were a monk, save the bangs that hung over his whiskers. His blond locks grew back instantly.

From then on, Hanami took a pair of scissors and gave him a hair cut herself. This new style was something that managed to stay in place longer than anything else that was tried, something she dubbed _The Messiah_. He bangs were cut lengthy over his eyebrows, the crown of his head trimmed into spikes, and two thick, long tresses were left to hang lyrically over his cheeks.

Naruto resembled an angelic lion, a person could say.

In the back of her angry mind, a small comment arose: "Too bad my son doesn't look this beautiful. But this child looks so familiar. He couldn't be..."

Then her thoughts shifted to: "Why don't I just put a paper bag over his head?"

The school year arrived the moment he was taken in. Naruto, six years old, found himself atop the roof of the school kitchen whenever Yuukei and his gang chased him. In explanation of how he _couldn't_ explain the situation, he told his _parents _these words.

"_I was only jumping onto rubbish bins and the wind probably blew me upwards. If anybody should be punished, it should be Yuukei!"_

_Believe him_ was something they did not do. _Punish him _seemed too light to say they did do. This was the event responsible for why he lives in the cupboard now. Is he regretting his actions? No. He's in too much peril to even think of the incident. However, he does dream.

A man with a whitish mane of hair in a burgundy cloak hovering in the night sky became a welcoming image in his sleep.

Breakfast was a common place for Kenta to complain to his wife. He dearly enjoyed complaining about things: people at work, Naruto, the council, Naruto, the bank, and Naruto were just a few of his favourites that grinded his gears. Did he mention that he liked to complain about Naruto?

And this morning, something else made the list. It was cloaks.

At the breakfast table, whenever he was invited (to service the rest, that is), Naruto met the harshest reply to his dream.

"I had a dream about a cloak," said Naruto, remembering suddenly as he scrubbed at greasy dishes. "It was flying against the night sky."

Kenta nearly cracked his plate of pancakes. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Naruto, his face like a gigantic walrus with a moustache: "CLOAKS DON'T FLY!"

Yuukei and his friend, Juro Juyama, sniggered.

"I know they don't," said Naruto. "It was only a dream."

**The Beginning of the End: Under the Stairs and the Zoo**

Early in the summer, before Naruto was predestined to attend Common Gakuen while Yuukei was to attend Konoha Elite Academy, the Atsushi family and Juro celebrated Yuukei's birthday with a trip to the zoo.

Naruto's usual caregiver was too busy in the hospital recovering from a broken leg to do her job. So unfortunately, Kenta took the runt with them, hoping he would become any tiger's lunch.

That Saturday, the weather was quite sunny and the zoo was crowded with families. Kenta bought Yuukei and Juro massive chocolate ice-cream cones at the gates. Then, because the smiling man had asked Naruto what he wanted before they could get him away, Hanami bought him a cheap orange ice pop.

It didn't taste all that bad either to Naruto. He licked it as he watched a gorilla that scratched its bum. When Yuukei turned to talk to Juro, Naruto immediately saw that the primate looked remarkably like Yuukei, except it wasn't brunette.

"I wish you were his brother instead of me, gorilla," he thought mid-lick.

Naruto, so far, was having the best morning he'd ever had in a very long time. Careful he was not to walk too close to the Atsushi family, so that Yuukei and Juro wouldn't go back to their favourite hobby of hitting him because they were getting bored of the animals already.

From there, they ate lunch at the zoo's restaurant. When Yuukei threw a tantrum over not having enough ice cream in his hot fudge sundae, Kenta bought him another one and allowed Naruto to finish the first since Juro was too full.

Afterward, Naruto felt this good feeling was all too good to last. It's always like that.

Once Yuukei finished stuffing himself with ice cream, they went to the reptile house while Hanami stayed in the restaurant. She was all too terrified of the creatures.

Inside, it was dark, damp, and cool. Bright windows lined the walls, and behind the glass, various types of scaly creatures crawled and slithered over wood and stone.

Yuukei and Juro wanted to see large, venomous cobras and deadly pythons. The two quickly found the sort in the middle of the corridor. With its length, it could have gone around Kenta's car twice, crush it, and have some feet left over. But the poor snake didn't seem to be in the mood. It appeared to be, yes, sleeping.

Yuukei pressed his piggy nose against the glass to stare. "Make him move," he commanded his father. Kenta gave the glass a quick rap, but the reptile didn't move a muscle.

"Again!" Yuukei whined. Kenta tapped harder. Nothing still.

Yuukei soon got bored and shuffled away, giving room for Naruto to stand before the tank to look at the snake. By first glances, the snake could have died of boredom itself. No company ever came except stupid zoo-goers that put their sticky fingers on the glass, disturbing it all day long.

Naruto sympathised. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was ugly Hanami hammering on the door to wake you up. At least he got to visit the rest of the house.

The snake suddenly opened its eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on Naruto's level. Then it winked at him.

Naruto stared. Then he took a double-take to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.

The boa turned its head toward Kenta and Yuukei, and then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Naruto a look that directly declared:

'_I get that all the time.'_

"I know," Naruto murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. "It must be really annoying, you being behind this glass and all."

The snake nodded vigorously.

Curious and interested, "Where do you come from, anyway?" Naruto asked. The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Naruto squinted and read:

_Boa Constrictor, Brazil.__This specimen was bred in the zoo._

"I see. You've lived here all your life."

As the snake shook its head, a boyish shriek from Juro made both of them jump. "YUUKEI! MR. ATSUSHI! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!"

Yuukei came waddling toward them as fast as he could. "Get out of my way," he said, punching Naruto in the ribs with his fat fist. Caught by a daze, Naruto fell hard on the concrete floor. The next event happened so fast, no one saw how it occurred—one moment Juro and Yuukei were leaning right up close to the glass; the next, they had leapt back howling with horror.

Naruto recollected himself and gasped.

The glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished. The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People all over the reptile house screamed and ran for the exits.

As the boa slithered by, Naruto could have sworn a hissing voice said,_ 'Brazil, here I come.… Thanksss, amigo.' _The keeper of the reptile house was in total disbelief.

"_What the hell just happened!"_

"_But the glass,"_ he kept saying, _"where did the glass go?"_

In the main office, the zoo director apologised over and over again to Hanami and Kenta over a cup of tea. Yuukei and Juro were too stunned to make complete sentences, that is, if they were capable of doing so. They simply gave out phrases like "squeeze" and "to death".

Unluckily for Naruto, Juro's breath caught up with him. "You were talking to it. Weren't you?"

Kenta wanted to deal with the matter at home, away from outside eyes. Boy, did he turn purple.

When they arrived back at Emi Drive, and Juro was far down the street, the real punishment began.

"INTO THE CUPBOARD YOU GO! FOR THE REST OF THE DAY! NO MEALS!" Kenta howled before he collapsed into his chair. "Hanami, get he something from the wine cabinet to calm me down." And as quickly as told, the horse-face woman presented him with a tall bottle of brandy. Down his throat it disappeared _like magic._

**The Beginning of the End: Under the Stairs and the Zoo**

Later that night, Naruto tossed and turned on the crisply burnt cot in his cupboard. Why did these things happen so much? There was no simple explanation. And if he asked any questions, he'd get scolded. They told him to never ask questions since the time he asked:

"What happened to my parents?"

The answer from Hanami was: "They died in a car crash, those drunkards! That's how you got those ugly scars from!"

When Naruto strained his memory of the event, he could only gather an image of a bright green light and a woman's shrieks. Not a clue he had where all that green light could have come from. Not even one for how his whiskers came to be.

Then those miserable four years he's lived with them. It felt like his entire life. He had no clear memory of what the earlier years were like—no memories of friends, no parties, nothing. He knew no one. Nevertheless, a constant occurrence was a stranger in a bright cloak that either shook his hand or waved at him. The reason he never could imagine.

**The Beginning of the End: Under the Stairs and the Zoo**


	7. Letters from Nowhere

**iKoffeeholic's Word:**

Sorry I took so long. Here you are…

**The Beginning of the End, or is It?: Letters from Nowhere**

School was finally over. Naruto, currently ten-years-and-eleven months old, was glad. But the constant torture from Yuukei and his gang destroyed that feeling. They visited every day—Juro, Kyuro, Hachi, and Roku. All of them were ridiculously fat and stupid, but Yuukei was their leader, being the fattest and stupidest. Happily, they took part in his favourite indoor sport.

This was called the _Naruto Hunt._

Even though his punishment for the escape of the boa constrictor ended, he considered asking to be locked in it again to escape Yuukei. After many suns of hiding in the cupboard, Naruto found that Yuukei had already broken several toys. Expensive toys. One of which he managed to adjust his rear on to ride. Then he crashed it into a neighbour, Ms. Edo, as she hobbled across the road with her cane.

Later, Naruto overheard Hanami and Kenta rambling on about the end of the summer vacation. The two abusers talked about Yuukei being accepted into Kenta's old private academy, Konoha Elite. Naruto, on the other hand, was being sent to the local, common school, Common Gakuen. That was no surprise.

In the living room the next day, the Atsushi family had their attention on Yuukei. The stout child at the moment was being fitted for his new school uniform—a bright blue Prince Albert coat, lime green slacks, and a black sailor-type hat. It even came with a black walking cane.

"My little Yum-Yums looks so handsome and grown-up!" cried Hanami.

Kenta added, "That's my boy!"

Naruto, who stood a safe distance away, could hardly contain his laughter. _'How ridiculous he looks!' _he thought in silence. He didn't trust himself to speak, for if any words escaped, he'd probably pay for them instantly with a broken rib or two.

**The Beginning of the End, or is It?: Letters from Nowhere**

The next morning when Naruto left his cupboard to relieve himself, a horrible odour from the kitchen found its way to his nose. It most certainly couldn't have been breakfast. Or could it just be Hanami's breakfast for him?

He ventured to the kitchen to find out. The odour proved to come from the sink. A tub contained what seemed to be large old rags floating in dirty gray water.

"What's that there?" asked Naruto, holding his nose in disgust.

Hanami's reply was quite curt. "Your high school uniform."

"I didn't know it had to be so wet."

Her lips tightened. "Stop being an arse. I'm dying Yuukei's old clothes gray for you. You'll be dressed like everyone else at Common Gakuen when they dry.

Naruto tried very hard not to over-think how those pieces of dried elephant skin would look on him his first day there. He surely wouldn't look like everyone else.

Then Kenta and Yuukei walked in. They both slapped their noses in disgust because of the smell from the cloth swimming in the gray brine. Kenta gripped a newspaper in his fat fingers as usual while Yuukei whacked his cane on the table.

Next came the cling from the mail slot in the door and the spilling of letters on the welcome mat.

"Gather the mail, Yuukei," commanded Kenta, not moving away from his paper.

Yuukei, in the middle of sugary cereal, didn't want to budge. "Make Naruto get it, Dad."

"Make Yuukei get it. He needs the exercise," said Naruto.

"Poke him with your Elite stick, Yuukei."

To avoid being stabbed instead of poked, Naruto dashed to the door. Only a few things came in: A postcard from Kenta's sister, Taiko, a bill, and a letter. A letter for Naruto.

Naruto snatched it up and examined it as his heart beat out of his ribcage. No one from the outside world had ever contacted him. If so, who would? He never had any friends or other relatives. But the letter had all the correct postal information. There couldn't be any mistake.

Mr. Uzumaki N.

The Cupboard under the Stairs

4 Emi Drive

Ichiban Prefecture

Konoha

The parchment felt thick and heavy and the address was written in a shimmering emerald-green ink. And not a postage stamp in sight. Naruto turned the envelope over and found an orange wax seal that he assumed was a coat of arms.

A flame, a spiral, a leaf and a teardrop all surrounded a large letter _K_.

"Hurry up, you pest!" shouted Kenta. "You best not be committing any funny business." Naruto did as he was told and placed the other deliveries on the table beside Kenta. He sat himself in a chair and slow began to open that letter of his.

Then Yuukei tattled, "Dad, Naruto's got something!"

Naruto almost had a chance to see the text inside, but unfortunately, it was ripped from his grasp by Kenta's fat paw.

"That's my letter!" cried Naruto.

"Who the hell would be writing to you?" said Kenta indignantly. He snapped the letter open and skimmed it with his eyes, which widened the moment they reached the bottom of the page.

He gasped, "H-H-Hanami!"

The horse-faced woman craned her neck to read the text. By the end of the first line, she assumed a terribly ill composure. "Kenta! Oh my—Gina can't be right!" They exchanged grim looks with each other, forgetting about the two boys at the table.

Yuukei gave his father a smart rap on the wrist. He wasn't used to being ignored for such a long period of time. "Let me read that letter!" he demanded loudly.

"IT'S MY LETTER, YUUKEI!" shouted Naruto. "IT'S MY RIGHT TO READ IT!"

"No you don't!" retorted Yuukei.

"GET OUT!" howled Hanami. "OUT!" She swept them out of the kitchen and slammed the door.

Naruto decided not to have a quarrel at the door about who got to listen through the keyhole. Strangely, he could hear the conversation within the kitchen from an even greater distance. He sank down by the wall to enjoy it.

Hanami was shaking. "Kenta, look at this. How could they know where he sleeps? Could they be watching the house?!"

"Spying. Watching our every move." Kenta shuddered at his thoughts.

Hanami cleared her throat. "Then what should we do? Write back to tell—"

"No!" he interrupted. "No contact with them at all! We should just ask Gina. Since that wretched woman threw us the boy, she should know what to do."

"But—"

Kenta stopped her again. "End of discussion, Hanami. I am not tolerating anymore this nonsense. This time, I know it's not a prank. Gina forewarned us once, and we won't ignore it this time."

Another grim look took over Hanami's face again.

"Hanami, we'll find a solution when I come home from work."

**The Beginning of the End, or is It?: Letters from Nowhere**

Later that evening, Kenta did something he had never thought to do before. He paid a visit to Naruto in his cupboard. "Evening, Naruto," he reluctantly greeted.

The boy wasn't buying that. "Where's my letter?" asked Naruto. "Who wrote to me?"

"Just a prankster. Nobody at all, for the matter," replied Kenta. "I disposed of it for you."

Naruto was growing furious as he re-adjusted his singed bed sheets. "No it wasn't! It stated specifically where I live—right down to the cupboard."

"QUIET, BOY!" Kenta roared in anger. He then strained to create a smile on his face, seemingly looking painful. "I mean, Naruto...about your cupboard. Your mother and I realise you're growing quite fast. And a growing boy needs growing space. So to conclude, it might be best if you moved into your brother's other bedroom."

Suddenly, voice other than his own entered Naruto's head. _'All of a sudden they claim us as family? Naruto you don't believe them, do you?' _

"Why?" Naruto questioned aloud.

"No questions!" Kenta snapped. "Now gather your things and go upstairs."

But Naruto wasn't asking his foster father. He was talking to that voice in his head.

**The Beginning of the End, or is It?: Letters from Nowhere**

**iKoffeeholic's Word:**

Sorry for the year's wait. Without a poll, I decided to use elements to sort the students. Those were described in the coat of arms on the letter—Water (Teardrop), Earth (Leaf) Fire (Flame), and Wind (Spiral). House names, next two/three chapters. Next chapter comes soon.

**Postscript et Spoiler**: Story ends after the sorting. Three more chapters.


End file.
